Fall Scorecard: Grading the Networks

Tuesday

Nov 6, 2012 at 12:01 AMNov 9, 2012 at 10:06 AM

It's hard out there for a broadcast network. Basic cable shows like The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy are scoring big ratings, while Showtime's Homeland is the toast of the water-cooler crowd. "We seem to be coming to a point where there are enough series to watch without coming to broadcast television," says one network veteran. The networks are also competing with themselves, as viewers in nearly half the country now use DVRs — which has helped big hits such as Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory grow even bigger but made it tougher for new shows to get a foothold. As a result...